Y-8 (GaoXin 4) Electronic Warfare Aircraft

The “Gaoxin 4” project is an electronic warfare aircraft designed for standoff electronic countermeasures (ECM) missions. The aircraft features two large cheek fairings, a smaller fairing on top of the vertical tailfin, and a cylinder-shape fairing under the fuselage. There are also a number of electronic antennas attached to the fuselage. An ECM suite onboard the aircraft could jam enemy radar and communications over a long distance, so that the aircraft does not have to enter the range enemy’s air defence.

The aircraft is known as YG-8 or K/JYG-8 in its military designation. So far three examples (serial 21015, 21016, and 21017) have been identified in service with the PLAAF 10th Air Division based at Dachang Airbase in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.

Last update: 20 March 2009